Ethical Diamonds

Source

We offer a range of either natural Canadian diamonds that are mined, cut and polished with due care for the environment and for human rights, and are traceable back to their mine of origin or lab grown diamonds which are optically and physically indistinguishable from naturally grown diamonds whilst reducing the impact of mining on the environment and wildlife.

Diamond Shape

The shape of a diamond refers to the outline and pattern of its facets, not its reflective qualities or the cut. The most popular shape is the Round Brilliant, with Cushions and Princesses also proving very popular.

Carat

A carat is a unit of weight, equal to one fifth of a gram. Although carat weight and the size of a diamond are related, they are not exactly equivalent.

Clarity

Clarity refers to the impact of imperfections, or inclusions. Present in most diamonds, these can include tiny traces of natural elements, bubbles, or small cracks, and can detract from its beauty. We do not stock diamonds below SI1 clarity.

Colour

Colour is one of the most important factors to consider, as it's often noticeable to the naked eye. Although many diamonds look colourless, many of them have a hint of yellow or brown. Ingle & Rhode only stocks diamonds at the higher end of the colour scale, from D to I.

Cut

The cut grade of a diamond refers to its angles and proportions, not its shape. More than any of the other 'four Cs', the cut gives a diamond its sparkle as the skill with which it is cut determines how well it reflects and refracts light. A poorly cut diamond will not reflect as much light as a skilfully cut diamond, even if it has a high colour or clarity grade.

Polish

Polish refers to how well the facets of a diamond have been finished. It is affected by the presence of any visible marks from the polishing wheel, and how defined the edges are. Diamonds with Fair or Poor polish grades will sparkle less.

Symmetry

This refers to how well the facets of a diamond are aligned. The more symmetrical the diamond, the more it sparkles. Symmetry plays an increasingly important role as the clarity grade increases.

Fluorescence

Approximately one in three diamonds will glow under UV light due to the presence of nitrogen as a trace element impurity – a natural phenomenon known as fluorescence. It isn't usually advisable to buy overly fluorescent diamonds as they can appear milky or oily in daylight.

Depth

This is the height of the diamond, from the culet (bottom) to the table (top). Depth percentage is the height of the diamond divided by the width and affects the diamond's brilliance – a percentage that's too low or too high will reduce the sparkle.

Table

Located on the top of the diamond, the table is its largest facet. Written as a percentage, it is the width of the table divided by the diamond's diameter. The percentage affects the amount of sparkle – a table percentage that's too low or too high will reduce the sparkle.

LW Ratio

A diamonds length to width ratio is calculated by dividing its length by its width. A perfectly round or perfectly square diamond will have an LW ratio of 1. The more elongated in shape that a diamond is, the higher the LW ratio.

See below our recommended LW ratios for each diamond shape:

• Round Brilliant Cut: 1 to 1.03
• Oval Cut: 1.3 to 1.5
• Emerald Cut: 1.3 to 1.45
• Asscher Cut: 1 to 1.05
• Cushion Cut - Square: 1 to 1.05
• Cushion Cut - Rectangular: 1.15 to 1.25
• Princess Cut: 1 to 1.05
• Pear Cut: 1.45 to 1.75
• Marquise Cut: 1.85 to 2.1
• Radiant Cut - Square: 1 to 1.05
• Radiant Cut - Rectangular: 1.2 to 1.5